Rex Ryan: Geno Smith "gives us the best chance to win"

[ThomasTomasz]

Though he's had horrendous back-to-back starts the past two weeks, the Jets are sticking with rookie quarterback Geno Smith as their starting quarterback.

So said coach Rex Ryan on Monday.

"Right now, I would feel that he gives us the best chance to win," Ryan said, via Newsday.

It hasn't seemed like it in the past two weeks, though. In losses to the Bills and Ravens, Smith has completed 37.8 percent of his passes for zero touchdowns and five interceptions. Against the Bills, his quarterback rating was an anemic 10.1, and on Sunday, he increased that slightly to a 22.3.

But even with Ryan seemingly fighting for his job with the Jets and with the team still in the battle for the AFC's second wild-card spot, he's not willing to demote Smith -- who, for the record, has played extremely well in a few games this season.

"I didn't do enough [Sunday]. Didn't get the job done," Smith said Monday, via ESPN New York. "We didn't score a touchdown so that's never good. I didn't do enough. We have to figure out ways to get better and put points on the better. It's pretty simple. We need to score touchdowns and put points on the board."

True, but what about backup Matt Simms, who was impressive during the preseason?

Even so, Smith remains confident in himself.

“Everybody always wants a new quarterback in there,” Smith said Sunday. “I just keep trying to improve and work on myself. I know I can lead this team to the playoffs.”

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on...qb-geno-smith-gives-us-the-best-chance-to-win

 

[f16harm]

He'll come out Sunday looking like Ken O'Brien versus Miami, watch.

 

[Youk]

Might as well stick with him, Simms isn't better than Geno. Give Geno the experience, even if it is terrible. No one expected the Jets to have this many wins, so you might as well just try to get him out there vs. NFL competition, instead of aim for the playoffs.

 

[JeremyHight]

What is better: keeping the confidence of a young QB who is going to be your QB for the next few years or getting to the playoffs for one game and promptly losing?

 

[PP]

What is better: keeping the confidence of a young QB who is going to be your QB for the next few years or getting to the playoffs for one game and promptly losing?

Pulling your QB is going to ruin his confidence more imo. Geno is a rookie QB on a subpar team.

 

[ThomasTomasz]

What is better: keeping the confidence of a young QB who is going to be your QB for the next few years or getting to the playoffs for one game and promptly losing?

Rookie QBs have proved over the past few years that you can start from Day One and be successful. Off the top of my head, there's Dalton, Luck, RGIII, Wilson, Tannehill, Newton. I'm sure the list includes others from years past, including Peyton Manning. Knowing that, you could risk his confidence even more by benching him, knowing his contemporaries are out there starting from Day One.

I'd argue that rookie QBs not being out there is a myth at this point, it's no longer an exception like Peyton, and is pretty common.